Monday, March 9, 2009

Garrett's Story Part 4 (Tickle Time)

All kids love to be tickled, but for Garrett tickling is almost a requirement. He really craves tickling when he is sitting quietly in my lap, especially when I want to watch something important, like Oprah, or the news. I used to think that it was just him manipulating me to get some attention when I was least likely to give it, but now I think that he really does need it. Just a deep fingernail massage into a bony area sometimes does the trick. Like if I dig my fingernails into his scalp and move the skin around under my nails, he really enjoys that. Or a couple fingernails into the ribs and moving the skin around there is good, too. It's the kind of stimulation that sends chills down my spine, but Garrett is a sensory seeker, so for him, more is better. But you can never beat a good old fashioned tickle session. Here's Daddy tickling Garrett.

And here's Daddy tickling both Erin and Garrett.

When Garrett thinks he's going to be tickled or gets excited in any way, he draws his arms up to his neck and shrugs his shoulders. He kind of contracts in, very much like a young baby does when he stretches or gets tickled. This is another one of Garrett's quirks (like gagging himself) that nobody can explain.

A lesser version of the full arm/shoulder contraction is the fingers behind the ears contraction. When Garrett is just a little excited he will put his index fingers behind his ear lobes and push into his neck. Again, some kind of pleasurable sensation that only he can explain.